A known nebulizer is described in the document U.S. Pat. No. 6,705,312. This device has a main body containing a vibrating element, electronic circuitry, and battery for powering the circuitry and the vibrating element. An atomizer is provided on top of the main body, and is suitably coupled to the electronic circuitry and the vibrating element to allow for atomization of liquid. Generally, a mouthpiece is further added to allow a patient to correctly receive the atomized spray of droplets through the mouthpiece. The atomizer comprises an orifice plate through which liquid is ejected. By powering the vibrating element, an ultrasonic sound wave is applied to the liquid and this liquid will contact the orifice plate so as to be expelled as a spray of droplets.
The atomizer comprises a main reservoir into which a liquid substance that is to be expelled as a spray of droplets is poured prior to use. A chamber lid containing the orifice plate is provided over the main reservoir.
The main body further comprises a dosing reservoir that is provided on the top surface of the main body, just below the atomizer. By filling the main reservoir with liquid, a specific predetermined dose of liquid may thus enter this dosing reservoir. This dosing reservoir fixes the amount of liquid to be expelled, and thus depends on the desired treatment.
The chamber lid will seal both the main reservoir and the dosing reservoir, and thus delimits these reservoirs from each other. The remaining liquid in the main reservoir can be used for further doses, and this main reservoir thus constitutes a buffer zone.
A similar device is manufactured and commercialized by Respironics® as a so-called adaptive aerosol delivery device.
In this device, again the dosing reservoir is formed on the top surface of the main body, and is filled by first filling a main reservoir so that the correct amount of liquid may then enter the dosing reservoir. A chamber lid, once fitted over the dosing reservoir and the main reservoir, delimits one from the other so that the correct amount of liquid is trapped in the dosing reservoir. By activating a vibrating element contained in the main body, the atomizer will atomize liquid contained in the dosing reservoir and this will be expelled as a spray of droplets.
Both of these prior art devices thus have a dosing reservoir on the top surface of the main body. As such, a correct size of the dosing reservoir may be accurately defined when fabricating the main body.
However, this dosing reservoir is integrated into the main body, and forms part of the top surface. As such, the top surface is not flat, so that it becomes difficult to correctly clean the dosing reservoir.
This is of course most important to avoid contamination of liquid, either by residues that stick to the dosing reservoir and to the vibrating element, or by mixture with a different liquid if the treatment is altered.
Further, in the case, for example, the described device is used as an aromatherapy device having a similar structure, the mix of essences should of course be avoided, so that here too it is important to correctly clean the dosing reservoir and the vibrating element to avoid undesired mixing or contamination.
The atomizer can be removed and cleaned, for example in a tub, but the main body containing the power supply and the electronic circuitry cannot be readily plunged into a cleaning solution for thorough cleaning.
Thus, correct cleaning is very difficult, if not impossible to achieve.
Furthermore, due to the particular arrangement, the nebulizer can only operate when held at a specific angle, either otherwise the device may not work, or liquid may spill out.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an innovative nebulizer that overcomes the inconveniences and limitations presented by the prior art, and that allows to ensure correct cleaning of the dosing reservoir and the vibrating element, as well as of the rest of the device, in a simple manner.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such nebulizer that is inexpensive, partly disposable and easy to use.